Welcome to Bernard Group
Capital-backed instruments, structured to Swiss standards — verified before any decision is made.
We support transactions with our own capital, arrange the issuance of bank instruments through regulated partner banks, and verify every counterparty, instrument and source of funds before capital is committed.
Bank Instruments
Bernard Group AG structures and arranges the issuance of documentary bank instruments — Standby Letters of Credit (SBLC), Demand Bank Guarantees (BG) and Documentary Letters of Credit (LC) — to secure payment, contractual and performance obligations in international trade and project finance.
Financing rarely fails for lack of commercial merit — it fails for lack of acceptable collateral. Bernard Group removes precisely this constraint by providing cash collateral from its own capital, on the basis of which a partner bank issues the required instrument in favour of the beneficiary. In doing so, we act as a structuring counterparty assuming the collateral of the transaction on our own balance sheet — not as a deposit-taking institution, and not as an intermediary introducing parties.
Issuance is effected by the partner bank and transmitted via the SWIFT network in accordance with ICC rulesets — UCP 600, ISP98 and URDG 758. The structure, operative wording and tenor of each instrument are agreed individually with the issuing and advising banks to ensure acceptance without reservation.
- Standby Letters of Credit (SBLC) — ISP98 / UCP 600
- Demand Bank Guarantees (BG) — URDG 758
- Documentary Letters of Credit (LC) — UCP 600
Monetization
Bernard Group AG arranges the monetisation of bank instruments — Bank Guarantees (BG), Standby Letters of Credit (SBLC) and Irrevocable Documentary Letters of Credit (DLC) — enabling a holder to raise cash liquidity against an instrument without selling the underlying asset.
Monetisation rests on the legal mechanics of assignment and pledge. The instrument is delivered bank-to-bank over the SWIFT network — by MT760 for guarantees and standbys, or MT700 for documentary credits, with MT799 pre-advice where required. As a structuring counterparty, Bernard Group supports the transaction with its own capital — not merely as an intermediary introducing parties.
Monetisation is governed by ICC rulesets — UCP 600, ISP98 and URDG 758 — together with the assignment and pledge provisions of the applicable law and the facility agreement.
- Bank Guarantees (BG)
- Standby Letters of Credit (SBLC)
- Irrevocable Documentary Letters of Credit (DLC)
Investments
Bernard Group AG arranges capital for medium and large enterprises, structuring project finance through a network of external institutional investors. We assess the project, build a legally sound transaction structure, and introduce an investor whose mandate and risk appetite fit the project. We are not a source of funds and do not take deposits.
Institutional finance is a structured transaction in which capital, corporate control, security and risk allocation are documented in full before any value is advanced.
Projects from EUR 30 million within the EU, USA, UK or Switzerland, with payback not exceeding five years.
- Life Sciences · Media & Entertainment · Private Equity portfolios
- Technology & telecom infrastructure · Construction & real estate
- Oil & gas · Aerospace & defence
Corporate Solutions
Bernard Group AG provides a full range of corporate services for private and institutional clients entering the Swiss and international markets — from company formation to corporate structuring, compliance and the administration of banking relationships. We act as arranger and adviser, building structures that meet transparency requirements and the applicable law.
Formation, registered office, compliance and KYC documentation, Tier-1 banking introductions, and cash-backed collateral from our own capital — structured under Swiss corporate and AML standards.
- Formation and structuring
- Registered office and secretarial services
- Compliance, documentation and UBO structuring
- Banking support and collateral solutions
Transaction Intelligence
Bernard Group AG conducts independent verification of international financial and corporate transactions. We establish the authenticity of documents and bank instruments, verify counterparties and beneficial owners, identify hidden risks and fraudulent structures, and provide the client with a reasoned assessment before capital is committed or obligations are assumed.
In international finance, losses are as a rule attributable not to market conditions but to an unverified counterparty, a forged instrument or a concealed term. Independent examination conducted before a transaction is the principal means of preventing them.
Examination scope
- Counterparty and beneficial ownership (UBO)
- Bank instruments (BG, SBLC, LC) — UCP 600, ISP98, URDG 758
- SWIFT messages (MT799, MT760, MT700) — ISO 15022 analysis
- Source of funds and contract structure
- Indicators of fraud and advance-fee schemes
Findings are delivered in a written report with a three-level risk rating (Green / Amber / Red) — an independent factual assessment on which the client makes its own decision.
Financial Crime
Bernard Group AG conducts independent financial-crime investigations and supports clients confronted with fraud, blocked funds or disputes involving banks and counterparties. We establish facts, trace the movement of assets, identify fraudulent structures and prepare documented materials for banks, legal advisers and the competent authorities.
Our role is analytical and expert. We are not a law-enforcement authority, do not replace legal counsel and do not guarantee the recovery of funds; we establish and document the facts on the basis of which the client and its representatives take informed decisions and act through the proper legal channels.
Areas of work
- Financial-fraud investigation and asset tracing across jurisdictions
- Support in cases of blocked funds and banking disputes
- Cryptocurrency transaction analysis and SWIFT message examination
- Bank instrument authentication and UBO verification
- AML, KYC, sanctions screening and source-of-funds examination
The investigation results in an independent expert report comprising established facts, tracing results and fraud indicators — structured for submission to banks, lawyers and law-enforcement authorities.
Our principle
The first rule is not to lose.The second rule is not to forget the first rule
About us
Bernard Group AG is a Swiss financial advisory and transaction-structuring firm based in Zug, specialising in structured trade finance, documentary bank instruments and complex cross-border corporate transactions.
Unlike traditional intermediaries, Bernard Group AG acts as a structuring counterparty. Where appropriate, we allocate cash collateral from our own capital, forming the security on which a partner bank may issue a Standby Letter of Credit (SBLC), Bank Guarantee (BG) or Documentary Letter of Credit (LC). It is this ability to support a transaction with our own balance sheet — not merely to introduce parties to one — that distinguishes our role from that of brokers and intermediaries.
Beyond bank instruments, we advise private clients, corporations and institutional counterparties on corporate structuring, international banking relationships, transaction protection and independent financial investigations. Every mandate is approached through disciplined analysis, documented methodology and strict confidentiality — the standards by which institutional counterparties measure those they choose to work with.
Our work is governed by internationally recognised banking practice and the legal framework applicable to each transaction. Depending on the structure, this includes the uniform rules of the International Chamber of Commerce — UCP 600 for documentary credits, ISP98 for standby credits and URDG 758 for demand guarantees — applied together with full counterparty identification, beneficial-ownership verification and source-of-funds review under the Swiss Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA, SR 955.0). Personal data is handled in accordance with the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP, SR 235.1).
Bernard Group AG is not a deposit-taking institution, an investment fund or a securities broker, and carries on no activity requiring a banking licence under the Banking Act (BankG, SR 952.0). Our responsibility is precisely defined: to structure transactions, assess risk, verify facts and provide solutions capable of meeting institutional banking standards.
In international finance, a transaction succeeds or fails on three things — credibility, transparency and properly structured security. These principles govern every mandate we undertake.
Contacts
- General inquiries:
- Executive Office:
- E-mail:
- Operational office:Blegistrasse 15, 6340 Baar, Switzerland
- Registered office:Neugasse 4, 6300 Zug, Switzerland
